The best thing about April is that it means March is behind us!

This year I am particularly happy to see the end of March as my NCAA Division 1 basketball brackets are a mess! Of the four teams that I picked for this year’s Final Four (Pittsburgh, Memphis, Louisville, and Oklahoma), none of them made it. Zilch, nada, none! So much for my basketball knowledge!

Aside from rain and mud, April does bring good things. It signifies to me a whole new season; an awakening and a sign of good things to come.

Item 1: Instead of plowing roads, we’re grading roads. With our new grader, the Public Works Department is able to grade our gravel roads sooner than in the past. In fact, Bowdoinham has more gravel roads than folks may be aware of. They are: Carding Machine, Dingley, Pratt, Blanchard Cross, Center’s Point, Brown’s Point (part of), Wallentine, Steven’s, Hornbeck Crossing, Pioneer, Carlson Crossing, Curtis Farm, and Mallard Lane.

Item 2: Brush. Due to the heavy tree damage of this past winter, we will be providing a free brush disposal day at the Public Works Facility located at 8 River Road on Saturday, April 25 from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm. Each household will be permitted at no cost to drop off one pickup truck load (or equivalent size) of wood debris at the Public Works Facility. We will be accepting brush and wood up to ten inches in diameter and ten feet in length. Under no circumstances will anything other than brush debris be accepted.

Item 3: Public Works built a new dock to replace one of the 6 x 10 “dinghy” docks. The old 6 x 10 dock is available free on a first come, first served basis. Call Kevin at 666-3503 if you want it. Docks are scheduled to go in at the waterfront the first week in May.

Item 4: Select Board and School Board member wanted: There is one opening for School Board member and one opening for Select Board member. Nomination papers are available here at the town office and must be returned by April 27th at 5 pm.

Item 5: Maine Senior Farmshare Program – If you are a Maine senior 60 years of age or older and meet the following income guidelines: Maximum $20,036 per year for a one-person household or $26,955 per year for a two-person household, you may be qualified to receive a free share ($50 worth) of first-quality, fresh, local produce from a Maine farm for 8 weeks during the growing season. The following farms from our area participate in the program.

• Fairwinds Farm: Pete & Cathy Karonis ph 729-1872, Topsham / Bowdoinham Farmers Market
• Goranson Farm: Jan Goranson & Rob Johanson ph 737-8834, Dresden
• Lalibela Farm: Andy& Jaime Berhanu ph 737-4319, Dresden
• Smithton Farm: James Rogers ph 622-2103, Chelsea
• Applewald Farm: Thomas Fair & Cynthia Turcotte ph 268-9276

Seniors must sign up with a farmer in order to participate in the program. If a farmer does not have any shares available, you may call another farmer. The shares go quickly so please call one of the farmers as soon as possible.

Item 6: Traffic Counters. To assist us in our capital planning, we will be borrowing traffic counters from the Department of Transportation and placing them on select roads. The data from the counters will help us in developing our road plan. So don’t be surprised if you see a traffic counter on your road!

Item 7: Road Sweeping – Roads will be swept in April by the Public Works Department. Please, do not put debris on the edge of the road as the sweeper is not able to pick it up.

Item 8: EARTH DAY CLEAN UP – Bowdoinham’s Annual Clean up, sponsored by the Biking, Walking, & Paddling Committee will be on Saturday, April 18th. Helpers are asked to meet at the gazebo at 9 am to get road assignments. Trash bags are provided. The filled bags are to be brought to the Public Works Garage at 11:30 am. Stay for a group photo!

Item 9: You know it’s spring when softball and baseball begins! Recreation Director Brooke Cox reports that 51 baseball players, 39 softball players and 33 t ball players will be taking to the fields in Bowdoinham this year. Weather permitting; practices should begin by the end of April. The program can always use additional volunteers working on fields, umpiring, and of course working in the snack shack. If you would like to help out, please give Brooke a call at 666-3504.

Item 10: Summer Camps –Brooke Cox has scheduled two camps this summer: Tennis Camp by Greg Reardon during the week of June 23-26 and SeaSpray Kayaking at Mailly Park on the Cathance River June 29-July 3. If interested, please call Brooke at 666-3504 for more information.

Item 11: Village Seniors: Lots of events are planned for April –

• Men's Coffee Break is every Tuesday morning at 8:30 am - come upstairs to the Town Office for free coffee and conversation.
• Lunch on 2nd Thursday of every month (April 9) and is at the 2nd Baptist Church. Social time at 11:00 and lunch will be served at noon. Master Gardner, Nan Curtis will present information on Container Gardening.
• Lunch on 4th Thursday of every month (April 23) at noon is offered at Bowdoinham Estates on Preble Road.

Item 12: EMS Director Ann Davis reports that EMS responded to 18 calls in March. Ann is in the process of taking two Incident Command classes which is mandatory in order to receive federal grant monies. Also, thanks to donations, the volunteers have new baseball caps, knit hats and sweatshirts.

Item 13: The month of March proved to be very busy for our Volunteer Fire Department. It responded to 3 structure fires:

• On March 21 an engine and crew of six were sent to Richmond for mutual aid where it was committed to a scene for four hours.
• Also on March 21, “All Hands” responded to a 1st alarm structure fire on Spring Street. On arrival, Fire Chief Tourtelotte completed initial size up and immediately called Sagadahoc County Emergency Communications Dispatch Center to request a 2nd Alarm. With a 2nd Alarm, Mutual Aid from Topsham, Bowdoin, and Richmond responded. Responders were deployed and the fire was extinguished without injury. Fire Chief Tourtelotte conducted interviews at the residence and determined that unattended cooking was the cause of the fire.
• On March 24, “All Hands” responded to a 1st alarm structure fire located on Browns Point Road. County Dispatch reported that the fire was called in by a passerby. While en-route, Fire Chief Tourtelotte observed a large volume of smoke. A vehicle was in the driveway and Fire Chief immediately called Sagadahoc County Emergency Communications Dispatch Center and requested a 2nd Alarm be struck. With a 2nd Alarm, mutual aid from Topsham, Bowdoin, and Richmond responded. The fire was extinguished without injury, the State Fire Marshall’s Office was called and at this time the cause is undetermined due to the extent of fire damage.

Item 14: Town Clerk Pam Ross reports that the deadline for the paper moose lottery applications has been extended by a month – to May 1st. Persons who choose to submit a paper application for the 2009 Moose Permit Lottery must have their entries postmarked by May 1 or delivered to the IF&W’s Augusta office by 5 pm on May 1st. Applications are available here at the town office. Also, Open Water fishing begins April 1st.

Item 15: The second half of property taxes are due April 15th.

Item 16: Community & Economic Development Director Tony Cox has launched a Buy Bowdoinham campaign stressing the importance of supporting our local businesses. If you own a business and would like to be included in this effort, please call Tony at 666-5531.

Item 17: Solid Waste Director David Berry offers the following tip when recycling: Please flatten plastic bottles, especially milk and juice containers, before you put them out with your mixed recyclables for curbside pickup or drop them off at the Recycling Barn. This saves time and space all the way along the handling process. Without all the air that was in those flattened jugs, the curbside hauler can get more material in his truck and at the Barn we can get more in our bins, boxes and truck. For more tips go to www.bowdoinham.com under Solid Waste Department.
 

Enjoy!

Kathy Durgin-Leighton

Town Manager